Connor, Centereach deny Newfield's entry

Centereach lefthander Kyle Connor pumped his fist to punctuate a complete-game performance with a strikeout. Connor threw a six-hitter and denied Newfield entrance to the postseason as Centereach beat the Wolverines, 7-2, Friday in the final game of the Suffolk League III regular season.

Newfield was in a must-win situation and finished with a 9-9 record. Teams qualify for the postseason with a record better than .500. The Wolverines were 10-10 overall.

It was no surprise Centereach played so hard. This Middle Country intradistrict rivalry has been potent for decades. Centereach and Newfield came into the final three-game series of the season needing a sweep to qualify for the Class AA tournament.

"They took it away from us by winning the first two games, so it was our chance to keep them out of the playoffs," Connor said. "It's always a tough series."

Newfield won the first two games of the series and was on the verge of a playoff berth with ace Caleb Olesen on the mound.

"We put ourselves in a tough spot by losing some winnable games," Newfield coach Paul Pederson said. "But we earned our way back into the possibility of being in the postseason with one more win."

It wasn't to be. Connor was brilliant, allowing six hits, walking three and striking out three. He allowed two earned runs and got flawless defense from shortstop Matt Dixon and third baseman Craig Mannhart.

SEE PHOTOSNewfield 7, Centereach 2

"We played great defense and I had excellent location," Connor said.

Newfield's Jake Conners singled home Chris Scura for a 1-0 first-inning lead. Olesen ran into trouble in the third when Centereach took advantage of three walks and a throwing error to score four runs. The Cougars loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit before Dixon's single to centerfield scored Ralph Vargas and Dan Cappiello.

Centereach (8-10, 10-10), the two-time defending league champion, added single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth. Leadoff man Josh Zenon, who went 3-for-3, had a run-scoring double and Ryan Herman an RBI double.

"Most of these guys didn't get a lot of playing time last year," Centereach coach Mike Herschaft said. "These teams know each other very well and it's always special when we play one another. We put it all together. We got great pitching and defense. It's a nice way to end the season."